The grand opening of the Boylston Street (Boston) was a huge success, with a large crowd, mild and dry weather, and a store that breaks records and sets standards for future locations. By 5:10 p.m. I counted 470 persons in line, east on Boylston and then north on Fairfield Street between bicycle barricades. The non-attending sidewalk crowd on both sides of Boylston continued to increase as the hour approached 6 p.m. About 15 minutes before the hour, all 135 of the employees ran out to give high-fives to the crowd, and then disappeared into the back door. At precisely 6 p.m. store manager Joe appeared outside and yelled above the din of the employees yelling inside from every step of the stairs. He welcomed the waiting line and then motioned Steve, the first person in line, forward into the store. Steve made a right turn from his position outside the store and headed in accompanied by a tremendous roar from the staff. The incoming crowd headed upstairs, giving high-fives to the staff all along the way. The crowd continued to enter the store in groups of 25, each sparking another round of loud handclapping and yelling.
Jason Varitek (catcher), pitcher Jon Lester and outfielder Coco Crisp appeared inside the Apple store within the first hour. It’s presumed that other players will appear in the hours before midnight.
On entry each visitor received a white T-shirt box containing a Green Monster-colored T-shirt that is unique among the giveaways that Apple has previously provide–T-shirts are traditionally black with white lettering. The company also hounded out Red Sox “red” iPod cozzies accompanied by a Monster Green green card. Check some grand opening photos here.
Check Gizmodo coverage of the press event that includes a photo of Sr. V-P Retail Ron Johnson and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, along with some interior photos. The Boston Globe also covered the event. A video of Johnson talking to the press is at the necn.com Web site.
Overnight photos–
Here are some news links of the store opening-
